I’m in love with this city. The hustle and bustle of the hurried people that quickly turn into blurred shapes before I’ve even finished looking up at them after wiping hair back from sticking to my blistered cold lips. I love this feeling. The hard cold street pounding up against the bottom of the soles of my shoes. The feeling of the hard freezing wind stretching the fat of my cheeks and the light drops of rain on my forehead while I walk in a hurried pace that matches the crowd to find my train. The sound of the streets. Honks and shouting, brakes gone bad and the knocking and clicking of $500 designer heels around every corner of this concrete jungle. Loud conversations on phones. Crinkling of bags from varied shops filled with pastries and chocolates that leave rings of oil around the bottom of the bags. The bags clenched inside a hand that knows the entire city better than my whole self knows this particular street. I love how aggressive the people are. Shouts of words barely understood confuse me as I try to decipher the words for anger or joy. Tight gripping hand shakes that let you know they are there and force you to remember their name. Quick moving hand gestures and body language that moves and shakes every single limb. Fearless darting and dodging of racing taxis and cars in the crosswalks of dark streets. Nothing stops, not even as I blink. The city and the people don’t care who you are, or where you came from, they have seen it all and won’t stop for you. Designer heels of blacks blues and reds, wet trench coats heavy their wearers. Black leather knee high boots and rough wool pea coats. Sneakers scuffed and wiped with debris from the street. Headphones on and black dull leather jackets whizzing past each corner I turn. I love sinking into the movement here and being carried away with the crowds. The never ending crowds of black. Dipping into shops and bars without hardly being seen. To lose my own face in the blur of 500 other strangers walking by, their destinations unknown to me but still I can see time on their minds. To walk alongside the roar and pretend just for a moment showing confidence on my face that says I know exactly where I am headed and what I will do there because I’ve been here in this city my whole life. I love the mystery and the friction, the sounds and the beauty, and for today I’ve complacently lost myself within this island. How fortunate am I to wake up and do it all again.

As summer came to an end and fall whisked in to save us from the heat, I’ve taken notice that some of those pesky summer critters have yet to say goodbye to us.

Mosquitos, chiggers, biting flies, fleas, ticks, and the list goes on. I’ve found it so hard to get those critters to get gone and stay gone with traditional bug repellents. Let alone the laundry list of harmful chemicals that the sprays contain! Who wants to spray those harmful toxins on themselves or their children? Not me!

I’ve started to create a natural bug repellent lotion that is soothing, perfect for any conditions, and will even help the little ones sleep at night.

Here is what I do:

I start with a natural no scent lotion. You can use something like Jergens for sensitive skin or something a little more natural and organic like an off-brand lotion as long as it has no-scent. Since I already had a bottle of Jergens lying around I decided to give it a try.

You’ll also need about 3-4 organic essential oils. My favorite blend to use is lavender, peppermint, clary sage, and tea tree oil. You can experiment with scents and make your own blend using other oils such as lemon balm, lemon grass, oregano, garlic, thyme, rosemary, citronella, clove, basil, sage, cedar wood, and the list goes on.

*I would highly recommend testing a little bit of the oils on a small area of skin like your wrist before applying the lotion to your skin, to make sure you don’t have any reactions to the oil.

Take about 4-5 pumps of non scented lotion and pump that into a small bowl.

Drop about 3-5 drops of each scent of oil, and use at least 3 different scents.

Blend the oils into the lotion with a spoon or fork then apply generously to exposed skin areas.

*If you decide to use any harsher oils like oregano or garlic, I would recommend starting with one drop in your mixture to make sure it isn’t too strong for your skin.

I like to dab a little bit behind my ears, and lather on in sensitive skin areas even if they are covered up, like your wrists, ankles, neck, backs of the knees and elbows, and of course in any obviously exposed areas. This mixture I’ve made has been tested to work during the day and evening to keep mosquitos and other pests at bay.

Sometimes it is inevitable that we will get a bite from an inspect no matter how much preventative measures we take. Here are some ways you can help soothe the pain and swelling and get rid of that CRAZY itch!

Try applying one of the following essential oils directly on the bite:
• Lavender, tea tree, or peppermint
• Apple Cider Vinegar also works well, although I would recommend staying inside after applying ACV as to not attract any biting flies or bees that have interest in the smell.

Try one of the following natural tricks:
1. Hold an icepack directly onto the bite.
2. Brew a chamomile or peppermint tea bag, cool the bag then hold directly on the bite.
3. Rub a lemon or lime slice directly on the bite.
4. Take a tablespoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of water, mix into a paste, and lather onto the bite.
5. Natural and organic honey or raw honey applied to the bite can also help to kill any bacteria as well as soothe the pain.

I hope you enjoyed this thrift simple bug repellent recipe, let me know in the comments how it worked for you and your family!

These overnight oats are so simple and thrifty you’ll be wondering why you never knew about them! An easy 123 recipe that you can create with practically any ingredients that you and your family will be craving more!

Step 1: Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make sure to mix well so that all the oats are covered with milk & yogurt.*If you are using steel cut oats, I recommend following the cooking directions for the oats first. They tend to be tougher than rolled oats and take extra time to cook to be edible.

Step 2: Scoop or pour the mixture into large mouth jars or jars that are large enough to fit a spoon into easily. This should be enough mixture to fill 2 large mason jars or 3 smaller jars. I like to use jars that are laying around the house, so any glass jars with a lid will work!

Step 3: Screw the lid on tight, and leave the jars in the fridge overnight or at least 8 hours to let the oats soak up the milk and become soft and delicious. In the morning, grab and go!

Get creative! You can use practically any ingredients to make this super simple and frugal breakfast! What about bananas and cocoa powder or Nutella! Try mangoes and coconut milk for a tropical flavor. Experiment with different flavors, and tell us what came out the best for you!

These simple quiche cups are such a fun and easy breakfast dish for anyone on the go in the morning. These quiche cups are so delicious, even kids will love them! and Moms and Dads will love being able to get those extra veggies into their kids without the fuss and fight in the morning! You’re going to love them, lets get started!

Step 2: Cook broccoli in a sauce pan with 2 cups of water for about 5-10 minutes or until broccoli becomes soft. Remove from heat and drain the water before the broccoli becomes mushy.
*If you don’t want to use broccoli you can use an alternative like carrots, or spinach and mushrooms. You’ll only need to cook hard veggies like carrots or broccoli so if you are using a soft veggie like mushrooms or spinach you can skip this step.

Step 3: Whisk the 4-5 eggs in a mixing bowl.

Step 4: One at a time add the milk, salt, parsley (or choice of herb), pepper, and ground mustard (optional) whisking in between each addition until the mixture is fluid throughout.

Step 5: In another bowl mix your shredded cheese(s) and the flour. Take a spoon to fully mix the two ingredients together.

Step 6: Place muffin tin liners in your muffin tins, and spray or rub the liners with a light cooking oil such as olive oil. This will help to keep the egg from sticking to the inside of the liner. *You can also use a cooking spray such as pam.

Step 7: Scoop a tablespoon of broccoli into each cup, as well as a teaspoon of the cheese and flour mixture and a teaspoon of the chopped Canadian bacon or protein of choice.

Step 8: Pour or scoop the egg mixture into each cup. You want to be sure to fill the cup enough to slightly cover the top of the ingredients.

Step 9: Bake your cups in the oven for about 18 minutes. You should have enough mixture to make about 12 cups total. If you are using 6 cup tins, you can put both pans into the oven at the same time. As soon as the top of the cups become light and fluffy looking, remove the cups. Let cool and serve!

I like to put these cups into a tupperware container and keep them in the fridge up to 2-3 days. You can heat them up for about 10-15 seconds each, in the microwave and they make a fantastic to-go breakfast! Try different variations of the recipe, I’ve made Italian sausage and feta cheese cups, as well as chicken and cheddar cups. Get creative!

Welcome!

Jax Baxter | Blogger | San Diego, CA

Hello Baxter is a blog for the wanderlust and free spirit at heart. My modern-day bohemian lifestyle is about frugal DIY ideas, thrifty cooking recipes, travel and adventure, and my own take on self-sufficiency living in the city.